Adams' Grammar

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Wolves mum
Posts: 251
Joined: Tue May 14, 2013 11:07 am

Adams' Grammar

Post by Wolves mum »

Just to let you know parents with children already at Adams' received an email from the new Head today saying there will be a new criteria for admissions in 2016.
Priority in the following order;

Looked after Children
Pupil Premium
Pupils in Newport catchment
Pupils in rank order of exam score.

This had been proposed previously but has now been approved by the governors.
Happy dad
Posts: 482
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 10:10 am

Re: Adams' Grammar

Post by Happy dad »

I did see this Wolves Mum and it was very much expected.

I do fear that one of the consequences of this is that the pressure on spaces for the Wolves buses will increase as numbers inevitably drop and the number of buses drops from 3.
Hopeful helpful mum
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Jan 29, 2015 10:25 am

Re: Adams' Grammar

Post by Hopeful helpful mum »

Adams website states that approval is pending from the council, the map for the catchment area is very poor quality indeed.
I think this could have been introduced in a better way, giving some adjustment time to parents. Maybe writing to the school on the link provided or to the council will help.
This puts more pressure on Wolverhampton boys as they seem to have it worst of all, with no local grammar school and they're essentially being left out from their own consortium!
(Wolverhampton Grammar is paid and independent, their boys results are not very good.)
onebigdilemma
Posts: 232
Joined: Wed Dec 18, 2013 4:58 pm

Re: Adams' Grammar

Post by onebigdilemma »

I agree does not seem right not to have a boys Grammar in Wolverhampton. What is happening with The Royal? Will that be exam entrance? Will it have a catchment?
Hopeful helpful mum
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Jan 29, 2015 10:25 am

Re: Adams' Grammar

Post by Hopeful helpful mum »

I think Royal has applied for academy status, but not much information is revealed as of yet. We know it's going to be a free school, but have no idea what the admission criteria will be. They're keeping all existing students (though a friend whose child was a pupil there has just recently moved him as they weren't happy with the way things were going). A very unclear picture on the whole. They have the infrastructure but what about the expertise?
quasimodo
Posts: 3854
Joined: Sun Sep 07, 2014 2:47 pm

Re: Adams' Grammar

Post by quasimodo »

Hopeful helpful mum wrote: (Wolverhampton Grammar is paid and independent, their boys results are not very good.)
I agree the school is fee paying and independent where I beg to differ is that the boys results are not very good. You only have to look at the league tables over the years including this years. In the daily telegraph table for A levels in 2014 in the top 100 schools. It is a mixed school and whilst it has an entrance exam it is much easier to get into than into the Grammars and has a very large range of abilities. I know of parents whose children were of the state Grammar school ability and vice versa who have been educated at the school. However I do agree it is sad that parents of boys do not have the choice of a state boys Grammar school in Wolverhampton.
In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.

Abraham Lincoln
Hopeful helpful mum
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Jan 29, 2015 10:25 am

Re: Adams' Grammar

Post by Hopeful helpful mum »

Just an observation as girls here tend to do much better than the average boy (from information received from a current parent). I am not of the belief that girls do better as they take exams more seriously etc., but I do believe that boys learn better when taught in shorter bursts (so would concentrate better in a 40 minute lesson than a 60 minute one). This is an area where the all boys schools have an edge (the successful ones), they know how to walk the fine line between getting substantial work done and putting them to sleep! No offence, just an opinion!
quasimodo
Posts: 3854
Joined: Sun Sep 07, 2014 2:47 pm

Re: Adams' Grammar

Post by quasimodo »

No offence taken. The purpose of the forum is to express your views.
My views were based on one of my brother in laws who had 3 children at the school. Two girls and a boy who all got high grades in their GCSEs and A levels before going to University. Their son who lives in the area has his eldest daughter in the preparatory department. He is keeping her there next year even though she is state grammar school material. She didn't take the consortium exams for WHSG.
However a friend of mines whose eldest son went to a Walsall comprehensive and came out with poor GCSEs then went to the school they allowed him to redo his GCSEs and assisted him greatly in his A levels. He was not a academic high flier and if the school was purely concerned with league tables they would not have taken him on. Which is of great credit to the school. They do this with others. At the State Grammar schools and many Independents certain minimum standards at GCSE have to be met before you can proceed to the sixth form. In these circumstances the league tables tell an untold story and underscores the teaching at the school. My only link with the school was when my eldest dd took its entrance exam 10 years ago.
In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.

Abraham Lincoln
Hopeful helpful mum
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Jan 29, 2015 10:25 am

Re: Adams' Grammar

Post by Hopeful helpful mum »

That does sound encouraging. We've heard from friends at other schools (a state grammar and a prestigious independent), that their children haven't received adequate support in subjects that they needed help with for upcoming GCSEs. I'm keeping an open mind, hoping that a capable child will make his mark wherever he comes at life from! Just hope he gets in where they support and encourage students.
Wolves mum
Posts: 251
Joined: Tue May 14, 2013 11:07 am

Re: Adams' Grammar

Post by Wolves mum »

I went to the Royal open day and was very disappointed. Some children in seniors wearing trainers and looking generally scruffy and not very articulate, although some of the children were smart and well spoken.

The junior school the classrooms were very noisy and didn't seem well managed at all considering it was an open day and they were expecting visitors its was quite shocking.

I know parents of current year 7's at WGS who want to move their children out due to poor teaching, no streaming and discipline issues.

Remember all children from the junior school are guaranteed a place in the seniors at WGS.

Adams' is a great school i have one son there but i have noticed that the grades achieved in my sons form range from a* to E. The head did tell me that every year a proportion of boys get into the school that shouldn't as they are tutored for the exam but then struggle in the school.
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